One way that you can go about organizing your thoughts and structuring a problem is by putting your thoughts into “buckets.” Here are a few examples that you can use when starting a new project:
Bucket by:
1) Time: Sort by past, present, and future. This helps show different phases of a project.
2) Function: A process flow chart will help visualize which functions are impacted by the project. This will also help give you a visual on what time(s) your function is affected.
3) Root cause: A fish-bone diagram will help show you all of the resource-related items that are grouped together. It also helps show how these root causes add value to the problem.
If you are interested in learning more about using bucketing to structure your problem, you can visit this link: http://consultantsmind.com/2013/05/16/structuring-problems-consultants-use-buckets/.
Nate, thanks for the link. I like the website.
I actually used the bucket approach to get my client back on track for a huge project that had become too cumbersome. The client’s project management lacked organization, so I broke down their scattered Microsoft Project file into functional buckets and presented the buckets to client management. Doing so allowed the entire team to identify which work was most important and prioritize based on deadlines.